Best current NBA players at every age

It's far too early, as of the posting of this piece, to name Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic Rookie of the Year. But the one-time EuroLeague MVP who turned 19 years old last February has met, if not exceeded, all expectations had for him even before he was drafted third overall. Doncic entered December as his team's leading scorer, and the teenager has already offered on-the-court lessons to the likes of Kyrie Irving and James Harden, among others. A fine line separates knowing Doncic is shooting the step-back three and stopping him from draining those attempts. 

When all is said and done, Deandre Ayton may be the only man to take ROTY honors from Luke Doncic's grasp. Ayton was producing what Uproxx/Dime Magazine's Chris Barnewall called a "historic rookie season" in November, and Basketball-Reference explained the 20-year-old Phoenix Suns big man is "on pace to be the first rookie in NBA history to average 15+ PPG, 10+ RPG and a 60+ FG%." Granted, we'd like to see him average more than a pair of three-pointers every 21 outings. That aspect of his game has disappeared since his days at the University of Arizona. 

Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray became a revelation his first season as a starter, averaging 16.7 points and 3.4 assists per game while shooting nearly 38 percent from beyond the arc. He improved upon his points and dishes averages over the first quarter of the 2018-19 campaign, and he also hasn't been shy about antagonizing opponents on multiple occasions this fall. Brandon Ingram is another graduate of the 2016 NBA Draft worthy of consideration here. 

Donovan Mitchell can't wear a "22" hoodie to protest losing out here since there's no question he shares the same age with Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons. The reigning Rookie of the Year who repeatedly drew comparisons to Magic Johnson for the numbers he produced his debut season was also one of the league's most versatile defenders, as explained by Nylon Calculus' Senthil Natarajan. The Sixers adding Jimmy Butler in November should, in time, lighten the load on the second-year pro, which could ultimately help him evolve as a scorer. 

This may have been the most difficult one to select. Nikola Jokic is already an all-time great passing big man, and he turns 24 years old in February. Nevertheless, Karl-Anthony Towns earns the nod even though his own teammates clown him about his defensive deficiencies, per 1500 ESPN's Dane Moore. As Deadspin's Gabe Fernandez and The Athletic's Jon Krawczynski wrote, the Minnesota Timberwolves trading Jimmy Butler to the Philadelphia 76ers appears to have been a blessing for Towns. The walking double-double should get back to averaging over 21 points per game in no time. 

In late November, both Brian Sampson of Dairyland Express and Adam Behmoiras of Fastbreak Daily named Antetokounmpo the front-runner to win MVP this season. Twenty games into the campaign, the Milwaukee Bucks' unicorn was on pace to finish with career highs in PPG, RPG and field-goal percentage. It's scary to think he can still improve en route to leading the Bucks to an NBA Finals before his 25th birthday. 

James Harden and Stephen Curry likely will never leapfrog the two men atop NBA player power rankings, for different reasons, during their careers, meaning New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis is next in line with 2019 not far away. Davis averaged 28.1 PPG, 11.1 RPG and 2.6 BLK last season, and his unquestionable value to the Pelicans was proved in the fact that New Orleans lost all four games in which he was a spectator in October and November of this year. Perhaps the most interesting debate regarding his personal trophy case has to do with if he will win Defensive Player of the Year before he wins MVP. He could be the league's leading scorer and top defender in any given campaign between now and 2022.

Remove injury concerns from the conversation, and those who would suggest they'd take Victor Oladipo over Kyrie Irving would have to admit they are lying to themselves. Irving, arguably the most creative ball-handler of his generation and an individual who already has a historic clutch shot on his resume , left no doubt he could be Batman instead of Robin after forcing a move away from LeBron James via a trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics. The 26-year-old will have his pick of clubs if he wants to join a different side through free agency next summer. 

Turns out Kawhi Leonard's quadriceps is just fine, thank you very much, as he's an MVP candidate who could win that award if the Toronto Raptors finish atop the conference and even the overall NBA standings. Leonard is not only notching similar numbers to what he provided the San Antonio Spurs in 2016-17, but also, as ESPN's Tim Bontemps recently wrote, the consensus around the league is that Leonard isn't yet all the way back to 100 percent basketball fitness. 

It shouldn't surprise anybody that Oklahoma City Thunder forward Paul George ended November on pace to potentially average more points per game than his career best for a season (23.7 PPG). Playing alongside Russell Westbrook, happy to serve as OKC quarterback, suits George, which is why those in the NBA community shouldn't have been too shocked he returned to the Thunder instead of following LeBron James to the Los Angeles Lakers. Last January, ESPN's Royce Young explained how George, who shot 40.1 percent from three-point land his first season with OKC, modified his game to do "whatever to help the team, whatever to help Russ." 

Yes, the Houston Rockets were a roller coaster ride of rises and falls throughout October and November, but that rough stretch doesn't erase James Harden's MVP campaign, nor does it change the fact that the Houston sharpshooter, who won last season's scoring title, remains the top 29-year-old in the Association. Let's not forget: He provided possibly the best basketball highlight of 2018. Harden would probably own a ring had Chris Paul not suffered an injured hamstring during the Western Conference Finals. 

Stephen Curry is already the best three-point shooter of all-time and a two-time NBA regular season MVP before his 30th birthday. Remember, though, that Draymond Green called Kevin Durant from the parking lot of Oracle Arena, as explained by ESPN's Zach Lowe , following the loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals, and K.D. responded by signing with the Warriors the subsequent July and becoming a back-to-back NBA Finals MVP. This past August, Andre Iguodala referred to Durant as "the most talented scorer of all time" when speaking with Ben Golliver of Sports Illustrated. Do the Warriors beat the Cavs in Round 3 of their NBA Finals showdowns without Durant in the lineup in June 2017? We'll never know. 

Heading into October, Memphis Grizzlies guard Mike Conley had missed 109 games over the last three seasons because of multiple physical setbacks. The 31-year-old two-way star struggled with his jumper early in the current campaign, perhaps a sign that he's still trying to find his midseason legs he probably last truly possessed during the 2016-17 season. Joe Mullinax of Grizzly Bear Blues recently explained that the veteran who could average career highs in both points per game and assists per contest in 2018-19 needs additional help on the offensive end of the court, if only to avoid breaking down before March. 

Al Horford may have been the selection before the season, but it's hard to ignore what Kyle Lowry is offering the Toronto Raptors this fall. Lowry is on pace for a career year that could see him average a double-double for the first time, and Bleacher Report's Adam Fromal and Sekou Smith of NBA.com both mentioned in November the 32-year-old as an MVP candidate. He ended that month near the top of the league in offensive rating and charges drawn. 

Try to not overthink this one. It's LeBron James. Period. End of discussion. Take a look at the current Cleveland Cavaliers as they exist without the three-time champion, and try to convince anybody James shouldn't have been MVP for dragging that team into the postseason, let alone to the 2018 NBA Finals, while keeping a straight face. Yes, NBA.com Blogtable, James is the real MVP every year until proved otherwise. 

Steve Kerr would probably pick Andre Iguodala over JJ Redick for this mention, especially if the list dealt mainly with the postseason. It's December, though, so the Philadelphia 76ers guard takes the spotlight. A career 41 percent three-point shooter as of the start of the final month of 2018, Redick is a perfect fit in an offense that works to get him open looks off handoffs, as explained by Bryan Kalbrosky of Hoops Hype. He's also become a mentor for a win-now team looking to accomplish more than a respectable playoff run after trading for Jimmy Butler. 

Per NBA.com , there are only two available men for this portion of the piece. Better luck next time, Channing Frye. Devin Harris proved you can go home again when he embarked upon a third stint with the Dallas Mavericks. Things didn't begin smoothly for him this fall, however, as a hamstring strain cost him the first 10 outings of the campaign. He's since shown he can score double digits off the bench for a potential playoff team. 

The Dwyane Wade retirement tour lost most of its remaining luster after the Miami Heat failed to acquire Jimmy Butler in a trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Any questions whether Wade could contribute for a championship side were answered during the failed experiment run by the Cleveland Cavaliers a year ago that resulted in the three-time champion returning to South Beach last February. This is the end of the road for a future Hall of Famer who can still drop 15 points a night. 

The Cleveland Cavaliers trading Kyle Korver to the Utah Jazz ahead of December was the right call for all parties. Cleveland unloaded a veteran during its latest tank rebuild, and Korver was dealt to one of his former clubs and a site that could earn a playoff spot. Per Basketball-Reference, Korver may retire fourth all time in three-pointers once Stephen Curry passes him in that category.

Two-time NBA champion Pau Gasol became a valuable asset for the second unit of the San Antonio Spurs this fall until a stress fracture in his foot sidelined him for most of November and the foreseeable future. Gasol's basketball IQ and ability to locate open teammates with passes still exist, and his limited playing time helps to mask his defensive limitations. Here's hoping we see him again soon. 

The lifetime achievement portion of the post goes to Dirk Nowitzki, who missed all of October and November while working to recover from last April's ankle surgery. Now a reserve who shouldn't be asked to do more than spot up and shoot, when open, and create for others via screens, Nowitzki could offer morale boosts and leadership, not to mention some clutch shots, for a Dallas Mavericks team that may even consider making a trade or two to pursue postseason basketball. 

Vince Carter turns 42 years old in January, but the veteran in his 21st season who surpassed 25,000 career points in November can still take flight, on occasion. Listen to ESPN's Rachel Nichols , NBA, and put Carter in one more dunk contest. He's earned that right, both for his prior achievements and because he's featuring for the terrible Atlanta Hawks.